Description: The book is written for children between the ages of 5 and 8. The
story and illustrations are the work of M. Teresa Cochran, a
mother of three from Corvallis, Oregon.

"As my own children were growing up," she says, "I was drawn to
the story of the little John Bosco as a childhood example for my
own little ones. As I learned stories of his childhood and
especially of his dream of 9 years old, I would tell these
stories to my children. Their interest sparked my interest. The
book began with a prayer, a dream, and the gift of a rose from a
friend, that encouraged me to go forward."

Mrs Cochran researched her material at Don Bosco Hall and the
Institute of Salesian Spirituality in Berkeley. The originality
of her work is that, as an American mother, she tells stories of
St John Bosco's childhood to the children today. The story brings
out the compassion of John Bosco and his mother Margaret for the
poor - and ends with a glimpse at how his childhood dreams
foreshadowed his vocation to be the father and teacher of the
young, especially the poor.

"There was so much material and so many stories that the book
seemed to grow too big. I decided that I would stick to just a
few little scenes. If children like the book, I have a lot of
drawings ready to keep presenting other stories of St John
Bosco," says Mrs Cochran.